On Tuesday, the latest performance measures were released from Te Whatu Ora. They show mounting pressure on our health system.  

This release is for the 3 months from 1st April to 30th June this year. They show preventable hospital admissions for babies and pre-schoolers up by 35 percent compared with the same time last year, an increase of around 5 percent in patients seeking treatment at emergency departments, and the number of people waiting more than 4 months for their first specialist assessment is up to 51,000, from 35,000 a year ago. Cancer patients have also been affected, with treatment times slipping as well.  

Last week, Sir Ashley Bloomfield gave a speech to the Health Leadership Symposium. He spoke to Newsroom about the speech, and how our “constant catastrophizing about the state of the health system is wearing down staff morale and undermining public trust in hospitals and medical professionals.”  

He wants to remind us “it’s not all bad” by putting the current situation into perspective. New Zealand, like the rest of the world, is experiencing workforce shortages and mounting pressures. Health systems are complex, and meeting the system’s needs has always been challenging, and while we’re going through a unique time at the moment Bloomfield believes the system is not failing.  

The definition of failing is instructive, Bloomfield says- “failing would mean the system is in a spiral where it’s not delivering care to the majority of people”.  

If you define it like that, then no, the system is not failing. It may not be great, it may not be what we expect from a first world country, it may not be equitable, and it may be struggling – but sure, it’s not be failing.  

Bloomfield points out he’s not trying to dismiss the waiting lists or challenges facing the healthcare system, but wants to change the language around the state of the system and boost morale.  

The problem is, though, that the talk of failure, crisis and pressure is coming from within.  

My impression of the health system is based on conversations with GPs struggling to keep up with patient demands, with the ED doctor who, after my son and I waited 5 hours to be seen, couldn’t stop himself telling us Auckland hospital is always at capacity for bed and waiting times, the PICU Starship nurse who felt demoralized by losing two of their PICU specialists to burnout and better options … the list goes on.  

It’s those working in the system who are crying out to be heard. I’m all for taking a positive, solutions-based approach to solving problems, and yes let’s keep it in perspective, but ignoring the pleas of those working hard to provide care and services to us all is not going to boost morale. 

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